Is your car a target? Top 10 most stolen vehicles in Ohio

If you drive a 1996 Honda Accord, your car was more likely to be stolen in 2015 than any other vehicle in the United States.

The National Insurance Crime Bureau today released its annual report, which identifies the top 10 most stolen vehicles nationwide. Using vehicle theft data submitted by law enforcement, the report determines most stolen vehicles by make, model and most year.

In 2015, more than 52,200 1996 Honda Accords were stolen in the U.S. That car is followed by the 1998 Honda Civic and the 2006 Ford Pickup.

For Ohioans, the vehicle stolen the most was the 2003 Dodge Caravan. Other vehicles stolen the most in Ohio last year included the Honda Civic, Ford Pick-Up, Chevrolet Impala and Jeep Cherokee.

According to the data, more than 1,740 vehicles were stolen in Dayton last year — ranking second in Ohio and No. 110 on the list of top metropolitan areas with stolen cars. Cleveland ranked first in Ohio, and 86th in the U.S.

“The number of late model vehicles with anti-theft protection on the list goes to show that technology isn’t foolproof,” said Joe Wehrle, NICB president and CEO. “Criminals are doing their best to defeat anti-theft technology through hacking and other means while, at the same time, manufacturers and others are working to improve security.

Even newer cars are being stolen, despite technological advances. The top 10 2015 model year vehicles stolen this year included the Nissan Altima, Dodge Charger and Chevrolet Malibu.

Wehrle said drivers leave their vehicles unlocked or with the keys inside, making it an easy target for theft.

According to NICB, many stolen cars are not reported as typical thefts to police because many of today’s thefts are financial crimes involving complicated VIN switching, cloning, straw buyers and illegal exports.

Wehrle encourages drivers to invest in tracking devices that signal police or monitoring stations when a car theft is suspected. NICB reported that car thefts have an especially severe economic impact on victims, particularly if the car is uninsured.